You can fry an egg on a sidewalk out there. But why would you do that when you could be floating on your back in a clear, calm lake, listening to the baking-hot breeze tickle the pine boughs?

My favorite close-by place for a dip is Lake Alice in William O’Brien State Park, just north of Stillwater on the St. Croix River. It’s packed on weekends, but during the week, the swimming beach can be pretty quiet. There are plenty of trees for shade, and the bluffs all around shelter it from the morning and evening sun. That’s my theory as to why such a small lake stays so nice and cool, even in the dog days of summer.

O’Brien is also one of my favorite nearby spots for a hike. I like to walk the Upper Prairie trail to the high point there that gives a great vantage on the St. Croix Valley. Afterward, Lake Alice is very inviting.

Who else has a good place for a swim within an hour of the Cities?